I have to say, 2017 was NOT my year. It really wasn’t. I didn’t read as many books as I had hoped, I stopped blogging, stopped my bookstagram…. the list is going to bore you to death because it is literally infinite.

Whenever we read a really good book, we get the feels. And no, I am not talking about feeling a bit sad because someone in the novel died, I am talking heartthrob whenever you see the book in eyesight, whenever someone mentions it, and let’s not forget that for some reason everything in the world reminds you of your emotional read.

Happy Wordy Wednesday!! So now it’s time for a new post for this week, and I decided to create this one about writing!! Lately I have been on a binge – I have been writing non-stop and somehow I have all of these ideas, and I need to write them all down!! Currently I am actually working on two long term projects as well as some short writing works!! So, I decided to create some tips that help me stay organised when writing, and how to make your writing more engaging and interesting!!!

What do you do when you have a ton of ideas for multiple projects, stories, etc? I have you covered!! If your brain is running with ideas for multiple books or short stories, my solution is simple but it will require some time. First off, it’s a good idea to have one notebook/journal for each project so that your ideas are organised and don’t get mixed up. Plus, you will always have space to add onto your ideas for each writing work!! So, now onto making sure you don’t lose your amazing idea or scene you have in mind. Make sure that first off, you write the idea down in your notebook, but sometimes it may feel like you are selling the idea short and you aren’t capturing it all. So, just write the whole scene!! I know, this takes time, but it is really worth it! Not only will you get the satisfaction of writing a really good scene or part in your work, you will also de-clutter your mind that is racing with tons of ideas for multiple stories!!

Now onto staying organised. A good idea is to use a journal or notebook, and to transfer all the ideas you have into your notebook. That way no sheets of paper will get lost, and you will not have to look for them everywhere around your house!! As well, like I mentioned earlier, it is important to keep a journal for each of your long term works, and one journal for your short stories! Also, keep in mind that if you write an idea down onto a separate sheet of paper because you didn’t have your notebook handy, make sure to transfer that idea into your notebook so that your idea won’t get lost!! If you have messy handwriting and you know it will be a pain to read what you wrote, a good idea is to word process your idea and type it on your computer. It will save you time, and you won’t have to squint your eyes at every illegible word you wrote down!!

Point number three!! When you are writing, a good idea is to incorporate real-life stories or events that happened to you. Not only will your writing become more interesting, it will also become better!! When you have to retell a funny story for example, or when you are looking back at some great memories, try to incorporate some bits and pieces into your work! Because you won’t have to make up something from scratch, it will sound more relatable and realistic – and all because it actually happened! The same thing goes for when you hear something interesting, like a phrase someone said in class or something funny you and your friend saw. If you use a grain of truth in some of you retells, you incorporate yourself into the story and it will make you more attached to it because you are sharing some of your memories!! Now, make sure to fit the stories or phrases into the the context, and you can obviously tinker with how much of each experience you want to recount and in how much depth.And trust me, you will see an improvement!!

Now onto point number 4!! Ever feel like you are stuck with using the same words over and over again? Like when you make a character grin every time or after adding dialogue you just write “they said?” Well, I have some advice! If you don’t know already, try to google the definition of the word you are constantly using, and you will get synonyms for it. Best thing is, this usually pops in right on your search tab so you don’t have to waste time clicking on links. If you search up “define (your word here)” then you will get a google definition complete with synonyms. One click of a button! As well, when you see a synonym you like, just click on it and you will get another google definition for it! This is a very fast and simple way to make sure your writing is not too repetitive. As well, you can also use a thesaurus!

And last but not least, tip number 5!! Ever feel like your writing is not really engaging? Maybe you wrote for three days straight and then you read back on it and feel like it’s too choppy? A lot of people think that when you write a book or a short work, you write nonstop until it is done, and then you edit it and voila! You are done!! But, if you do this all in the span of a week for a short story, chances are you will miss some mistakes and not see them. So, it is a really good idea to take a break from writing, especially when you feel your creative juices dwindling! Take a few days or hours (if you work on a deadline then take a shorter break, or start earlier!) and then go back to your writing once you feel refreshed. Maybe you went out with some friends or took a nice warm bath with a book, whatever it is, take some time to enjoy your day and relax, and then go back to reviewing your work or writing! I guarantee you that you will most likely find something you want to revise that you didn’t notice before! This is a really good tip, and sometimes I find myself revising something after a few months of not seeing anything wrong! This is especially good for long term projects such as novels or novellas, because overtime you will become a more experienced and better writer and you will begin to notice mistakes you didn’t see before! When I wrote my novel, I didn’t expect to catch mistakes a week after I edited it! It truly makes a difference in your writing, and you can see how much you improved from beginning to end!

And that is it from me!! Top five writing tips for all you writers out there! Now grab a pen, pencil, or keyboard and keep writing away!!

So here is my first post for Wordy Wednesday!! Since my new schedule has been introduced, I decided to spend some time gathering a list of 5 great places where you can read!! If you want some quiet time with a good book, or want to get really cozy, I have some ideas!!! Continue reading “Top Five: Places to Read”

So the new year is here, and I decided to do a post on new books that are going to come out this year! There are definitely a lot of new YA books coming out this year, and I decided to outline the top 5 that I think will be most anticipated! Continue reading “Top 5 Anticipated YA Books of 2017”

I just recently read Throne of Glass, and then in just two days, before I had time to remind myself to change the novel I’m currently reading in my Instagram Bio, I finished Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of The Universe. So, that got me thinking; what books did I finish quickly because they were so good – and which ones would I read over again? Continue reading “Top Five: Books I Can Read Over And Over”